Midnight Confessions
by bohemiangirl
Summary: The night before Cate's overdose Vincent knows that something is wrong...


**Midnight Confessions**

_I'm sorry… I'm so sorry_

Cate looked through the blinding lights at the blurred faces around her.

_Help me…_

She felt a strong arm take her and help her to her feet

_Vincent…_

"Are you okay?" she heard Vincent asked in a concerned tone.

_Like you care_

"Cate?" he asked again

_Oh no_

She couldn't believe it. She had vomited all over Vincent, all over her ex boyfriend. Her colleagues gasped in shock. Jo was laughing

_Bitch_

"You've hit your head," Vincent said, examining her. "You're bleeding. Come with me."

He was leading her out of Cougars, to his car

_Just like old times _

"Take me home." Cate had finally managed to say something. She didn't realize how badly she was slurring.

"Not yet," Vincent said as he unlocked his car. He opened the door and helped her in. "Keep the pressure on your head," he said, taking her hand and applying the tissues that she was holding against her head. "You're going to need stitches."

"Noooo," Cate protested. She looked up at Vincent. Vincent stood back as he noticed a familiar look in her eyes. A look that he hadn't seen for a long time. He let go of her.

_Don't…_

Vincent went around to he driver's side and started the car.

"I'm taking you to All Saints… Cate? Cate?" He glanced over as he drove and noticed that she was passed out beside him. _'At least she'll stay still,' _he thought to himself, making sure that she didn't fall into an unsafe position.

As he drove, Vincent couldn't help wondering what had happened to the girl who had once stolen his heart. Cate, almost overnight, had become a shadow of her former self. The girl with boundless energy who greeted everyone with a smile and was passionate about so many things had turned into this lifeless creature beside him. A creature that snarled and snapped at anyone who tried to help her and couldn't care less about who got in the way.

'_Did I do this? …'_Vincent thought to himself. _'No way… Cate's more secure than that.' _

'_Or is she?' _he wondered as he looked over at her again. He stopped the car at the back entrance to emergency, hoping to make a subtle entrance past the night staff who would undoubtedly make sure that every RN at All Saints knew how far one of their own had fallen.

"Cate!" Vincent tried to rouse her. She slowly opened her eyes. "Come on," he said, helping her to stand up and draping one of his arms around her for support. "Can you walk?" Cate nodded. He helped her out of the car slowly and they carefully made their way through the back entrance.

"Jo's bad news, Cate," Vincent said as they sat in the tearoom. He gently took her head in his hands, carefully examining the cut on her head, trying to ignore the sultry look in her eyes. "And you wouldn't acting like you are unless something was wrong. I'm just going to apply some steri strips."

"Vincent," Cate said in a quiet voice. Vincent locked eyes with Cate as she leant in to kiss him. Vincent instinctively pulled away. She was a girl lost

_Oh no_

"Sorry," Cate said, embarrassed. "I just thought that… man I'm such an idiot. Maybe I hit my head too hard."

"Don't worry about it," Vincent said gently. "And you're not an idiot. You're far from it."

"I'm drunk…But you're not interested," Cate said, not realising how much she was slurring. "Why would you be?"

"What's happened to you?" Vincent asked, confused, as he gently took her head in his strong hands again. He placed the steri strips carefully over the open wound.

_Where do I start?_

"What are you talking about?" Cate asked defensively. "My friend's back. I'm just up for a little fun. There's nothing wrong with that."

"One minute you're defensive, and then you want to kiss me. We've moved on with our lives, Cate. I didn't think that you-"

"I don't," Cate said as Vincent finished with the steri strips. "Look I'd settle for anyone right now. Everyone's got someone. I don't have…" she yawned. "Why am I telling you this?"

"Look Cate everybody feels lonely sometimes but drinking and-"

"I never said I was lonely," Cate said defensively.

_But I am _

"Take me home, Vinnie."

"Don't call me that," Vincent replied. He helped Cate to her feet. "You need help, Cate."

"No I don't."

_Yes I do_

"Soo… I take you home and we leave it at that do we? You just keep drinking and partying until something really bad happens."

"Shut up Vincent."

The next day Vincent made his way through the ED. He was surprised to see Cate.

"Hi," she said, approaching him nervously. He wondered how much she remembered. "I noticed that my little trip in here last night wasn't in the computer this morning. Thanks."

"No problem," Vincent replied. "Look, Cate if you need someone to talk to you know where to find me."

"Yeah I do," Cate said gratefully.

Vincent kept walking. Cate didn't remember a single thing about their conversation the night before. She was obviously unstable and needed some kind of wake up call or intervention, he knew that. _I'll just give her a couple of days… _


End file.
